Kevin Janiak

Borders Pet Rescue held its annual open day on Saturday, giving an insight into what goes on behind the scenes in the successful centre.

Still on a high from obtaining funds to build a new kennel block, manager Lee-ann Lackie said the day was a great opportunity to show people behind the scenes, meet some of the animals up for adoption, and for people who have adopted pets to come along and let them know how they are doing.

Kitty Harrison and Jamie Thompson with Misty and Rosie, who are retired greyhounds.

She said: “It’s always a good, fun day.

“There are plenty of stalls around and we have had several people in asking about the animals we have for adoption.

“We have five dogs in at the moment, 30-odd cats, a couple of snakes, turtles, five guinea pigs and a tiny hedgehog, which we are hoping to put back in the wild.”

Coming back to the centre for the day was gorgeous five-and-a-half-year-old Siberian husky Bella, who has been living with her new family, Jim and Jill Oliver from Greenlaw, for two weeks.

Jill Oliver from Greenlaw with Siberian husky Bella, who came to them from Border Pet Rescue two weeks ago.

Jill told us: “I was just really looking for someone to take in an injured hedgehog, and her face came up on the site for Borders Pet Rescue.

“We had to offer to give her a new home.

“She is delightful.”

Also visiting the centre were some greyhounds which had been rehomed through the Scottish Borders Greyhound Rehoming Centre in Eyemouth and the Scottish Borders Retired Greyhound Trust at Reston.

Vet Harry McKerchar was a judge at the show.

Bethany Clark from Galashiels has taken on former racer Tiger from the Eyemouth centre.

She said: “He’s had a bit of success on the track, having had 77 races, but he’s now looking forward to a lovely retired life on the couch.

“My boyfriend has always had greyhounds and he convinced me to do this. Tiger is fabulous company.”

And Clovenfords couple Kitty Harrison and Jamie Thompson came along with their greyhounds Misty and Rose, who have a celebrity in their ancestry.

Bethany and Richard Clark from Galashiels, with Tiger, who they collected from the Eyemouth Greyhound Rescue Centre in Eyemouth.

Kitty said: “They are both distantly related to Born Slippy, a greyhound which was made into a song by Underworld and featured in Trainspotting.

“We’ve had this pair for about 10 years now, and ours was their first ‘real’ home. They are just brilliant.”

Another rescue dog along for the day was Charlotte, an endearing corgi-cross from Bosnia.

Her owner Ruth Codd, who is from Selkirk but works in Libya, told us: “She was up for adoption in Bosnia, and the people who were supposed to take her on decided against it because she has a wee overbite.

“But some friends told me about an appeal the centre there put out and she is absolutely lovely.”

A popular part of the centre’s open day is a fun dog show, judged by Borders vet Harry McKerchar ... and Charlotte took first prize in the class for rescue dogs.

Megan Curran from Hawick, with Gus the marl collie, who won the prize for most handsome dog.

Another winner was Gus, a beautiful marl collie brought in by Megan Curran from Hawick. He won the rosette for most handsome dog, and went on to be named reserve champion.

The overall winner was a three-year-old Jack Russell, also named Bella, who was given the nod by Harry, who let slip that the breed is his favourite.

Bella, who was brought in by Mark Edwards from Melrose, won the prize the dog Harry would most like to take home, but was warned by his wife not to.

While Borders Pet Rescue has made enough cash to build its new kennels, it still needs some help.

Trustees have put out a call for anyone who can help them out by cutting the grass in Bramble’s Field, the centre’s dog walking facility.

If you can help out in this or in any other voluntary role, please call the centre on 01896 849090.

Mark Edwards from Melrose with overall winner Bella the Jack Russell, also voted by vet Harry McKerchar as the dog he'd most like to take home.

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